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In 2017, Josh Heupel was calling plays for the 14th-best scoring offense in the nation at Missouri. In 2018, he takes over the nation’s top scoring offense from a year ago.

The first-year head coach will take his No. 21 UCF Knights into Connecticut on Thursday night in an American Athletic Conference matchup with the Huskies to open the 2018 season.

The Knights have 14 returning starters from 2017, including reigning AAC player of the year, junior quarterback McKenzie Milton and their leading rusher Adrian Killins.

Milton threw for 4,037 yards and 37 touchdowns a season ago while the speedy Killins ran for 790 yards to go along with 11 touchdowns.

“Anytime you step on the field playing on national TV in a big conference game it’s always important,” Milton said at UCF’s weekly press conference. The game will be televised on ESPNU starting at 7 p.m. “It’s always important to go 1-0 and I think we embrace every challenge that’s placed in front of us and I am just excited to get this 2018 season started.”

Josh Heupel has big shoes to fill as UCF's head coach. He replaces Scott Frost, who led the Knights to an undefeated season before leaving to take the head coaching job at Nebraska.(Photo: AP)

Though UCF is heavily favored against UConn, this will be the first time since 2014 that the Knights open the season away from home. It will also be the first time in program history that the season opens with a conference matchup.

"They have got a lot of new personnel on the defensive side of the ball,” Heupel said of UConn. “It'll be interesting to see how much they are different from a year ago schematically. ... We have got to be ready to adjust on that side of the ball.”

The Knights also have seen plenty of changes on the defensive side of the ball.

New defensive coordinator Randy Shannon has been implementing his version of the 4-3 defense and must replace the production of six starters, including Shaquem Griffin and Mike Hughes, who have moved on to the NFL.

“The most important thing you do as a head coach is you hire an outstanding staff and we have that,” Heupel said. “I trust Randy and the defensive staff and what they're doing on the defensive side of the ball. Great plan and extremely organized. Nick Toth has done a phenomenal job with the special teams and you lean on those guys and trust in their opinions.”

UCF is looking to extend the longest win streak in the nation, coming off an undefeated season that culminated in a Peach Bowl victory against Auburn.